


Curiosity Killed the Cat

by Ford_Ye_Fiji



Series: Bite sized bits of angst for Earth-2 Harrison Wells [7]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, Gen, Harry Needs a Hug, Jesse is five instead of a teen, Mary Poppins - Freeform, im still living in season two, might be more to come in this little Jesse au, mostly cos I can't watch season three at the moment, the flash season two, you can have Harry over my dead body, zoom is a jerk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 15:37:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9278294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ford_Ye_Fiji/pseuds/Ford_Ye_Fiji
Summary: Cisco vibes on Harry, despite the older man's threats of bodily harm from earlier....He finds out about Jesse.There is angst.





	1. Enter Zoom

When Cisco vibes on Harry, he sees something terrifying. There is a little girl with short curly brown hair and wide frightened eyes. She sits in a iron cage, mouth trembling at the sight of the demon standing before her.

The monster growls, blue lightening flickering about him as he contemplates the small child in front of him. The girl whimpers and then speaks, voice high and strained, "Please- I, I want my Daddy."

The man knelt down in front of the (five? Definitely a five year old.) toddler, his voice a deadly rasp, "Now, Jesse. Your father has to do something for me first before he can come back."

"But I want him now!"

" _No_."

The girl scooted backwards, "You're scary. I want to see Daddy!"

He stood up, "Your father is too busy to see you."

The little girls eyes welled with tears, "He's never too busy! You're lying!"

Zoom snarled and loomed, the tears in his dark mask jagged and sharp as he growled, "Harrison Wells is not coming to rescue you!"

The brunette burst into tears and hid her face in her hands as she spoke between sobs, "I want my _Daddy_!"

Cisco snapped back to STAR labs, eyes as wide as the girl's in his vision.

He watched the back of the man working in front of him, his long spindly fingers working around the white marker in a nervous tic as he calculated on the transparent board.

Harrison paused and turned, brow suddenly furrowing as he saw Cisco's horrified expression. His eyes flicked downwards to the slight pressure the man was still putting in his shoulder. It was astonishing seeing his expression change from a startled, questioning, and barely tolerant glance to... Something else. Something angry.

Wells' eyes widened before they hardened and he ground out furiously, "What. Did. You. See?"

To his credit Cisco recovered quickly, retreating a few feet, "W- what? Me? See what? What are you talking about?"

The man moves quickly, snatching Cisco's arm so he couldn't run away, " _Don't_ lie to me, Ramon."

His grip was hard and it hurt, "Okay, okay, I vibed! Let go!"

Harry quickly released him, his expression perhaps showing some worry at the white prints on his arm. Whatever it was, it's very quickly gone as he asks again, "What did you see?"

Cisco gave a exasperated huff and rubbed his wrist, "You... You don't happen to have a little kid, do you?"

The man's face whitened and he took a step back, hands clenching into fists as he spoke worriedly- showing the first emotion Cisco had seen other than anger, "You saw Jesse?"

Harrison Wells did have a child... And she was... "Oh no."

If it was possible, he looked even worse, "What? What is it? Is she alive? Ramon!"

Cisco jumped, "She's fine! Well... As well as can be expected."

The man deflated, "Oh, thank God."

There was a moment of quiet as Cisco studied the pessimistic man in front of him. The fact that he had a _child_ , who he obviously _loved_ , and she had been kidnapped by a sadistic murderer.... Well, it would definitely account for his constant irritation and nasty attitude.

The man ran a hand through his wild hair, white knuckled fingers gripping the dark curly strands. Hair that he had passed on to his daughter.

"Harry..."

The scientist looked up, a frown on his face.

"I... I didn't know. Why didn't you tell us?"

The man rasped, "It wasn't relevant."

Cisco threw his hands out in a sweeping gesture, "It wasn't _relevant_?! You have a very young daughter who Zoom has kidnapped! She's in danger and you didn't think it was wise to inform us?!"

Harry snapped in irritation, "I don't need your help and I don't need your pity! I am well aware that Jesse is in danger! You don't need to remind me!"

Cisco spluttered, "Wh- what? I- that wasn't what I was saying!"

"Oh really? Don't tell you haven't wondered what I've done to get her stuck in that situation! Don't tell me you don't think it's my fault she's been taken!" The man half laughs, anger at himself emanating from him with every gesture he makes, "And you'd be right! If I hadn't been such an idiot she still be here!" He turns, shoulders hunching as he faces the board again.

Cisco doesn't know what to say, his mouth open in astonishment.

A few moments pass before anyone else makes a move.

When Harrison's breathing slows, he picks up the marker from where he'd dropped it on the table. (When had he put it down? Cisco couldn't remember.) Harry began writing again, trying to ignore what had just happened, "Barry needs to get faster."

Cisco didn't move, information still processing.

Harry snarled, "Close your mouth. You're not a codfish."

Cisco's jaw snapped shut before he started and then exclaimed incredulously, saying the first thing that came to mind, "You just quoted Marry Poppins!"

There's a moment of silence where Cisco stares at him as if he's never seen him before. Harry twitches under his gaze and finally answers, "She's watched it a million times. Are you satisfied?"

Cisco finally backs away, "Sorry... I'll just..."

Harry's pushes his up his glasses as he rubs the bridge of nose while Cisco scurries away, undoubtedly to inform Team Flash about the hostage.

He can only grip the marker harder and continue calculating.

Making the Flash get faster is the only way to save his little girl.

And God help anyone who got in his way.


	2. Running to Stand Still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The episode 'Running to Stand Still'... But with tiny!Jesse.
> 
> (Really just three moments from the episode with Harry, and of course that one scene at the end that had my entire family go 'Oh, Harry...')

One minute, he's in STAR labs attempting to ignore any and all Christmas cheer that the others had attempted to integrate into their workspace and the next, Zoom is there holding him up by the neck. He gasps, or tries too, as the monster grins through the jagged rips in the fabric where his mouth should've been. He chokes and finally manages to rasp, "Go ahead, kill me."

Zoom tilts his head as if he's an amused cat playing with the mouse that knows it's doomed, "But... My daughter... Is innocent."

Zoom only stares.

"Please. Let Jesse... Live."

He struggles to breathe around the gloved fist. Zoom doesn't reply, only standing there and delightedly watching his enemy struggle for breath. Harrison finally spits out, "Go on. Say something!"

Zoom grins, the torn fabric stretching wide and mimicking rotten black teeth, "Merry Christmas."

The next second after a whirlwind of time, lashing wind, and blue lightning, Zoom is gone, leaving Harry off balance. Something is coming. He doesn't know what.   
.  
.  
.  
.  
His clothes and hair get pushed by the wind of a passing speedster. He can hear them behind him, slight breaths and the pull of leather. Barry would've announced himself and probably began chattering on as he usually did.

A voice that sounds as if it's been gargling gravel asks impatiently, "Have you decided?"

It is indeed Zoom. Harry doesn't look at him until he's finished writing. He turns to face the demon clad in leather as black as pitch. The creature's eyes are wide and white and strangely terrifying, "I need more time."

The monster sneers, "Don't we all."

Harrison crosses his arms as the demon looms without ever having to come nearer, " _Decide_."

He refuses to flinch, instead standing straighter and taller. He's not going to let Zoom intimidate him, so he snarls back, "I need more time."

Zoom isn't pleased with the scientist's defiance, so he takes a step forward and his eyes flash blue, "Maybe if I go up there and kill a few of your new friends..."

His brave charade vanishes as he thinks of the annoyingly cheerful Barry, the overly compassionate Caitlin, and the upstart yet somehow endearing Cisco. He knows that he's doomed when his entire mind rebels against their demise. How had he allowed himself to end up with more children to herd? He drops his hands and speaks, "No!"

Zoom grins. He knows that the scientist is far softer then he acts. The man is almost too easy to manipulate, his pressure points are always those around him and he knows that the Team has worked their way through his walls. He also knows that while they are another one of Harrison Wells' weaknesses, Jesse will always come first. It delights him how much pain Dr. Wells is about to go through. He is going to revel in it.

None of this shows, however, as the sadistic speedster replies, "One more day."

The stubborn man deflates in relief, but he shudders involuntarily at Zoom's next words, "I'll tell your daughter you said 'Hello.'"

The moment the speedster is gone, Harry grabs at his hair in one of his more telling signs of his agitation. The next second, he shoves parts and tools to the floor. Zoom has him in the palm of his hand... And there's nothing he can do about it.   
.  
.  
.  
.  
It's only a while after he declines Barry's invitation when Zoom shows up. He speaks, "Times up, Dr. Wells... What's it going to be?"

The cool night air ruffles his clothes as Harrison replies calmly, face hard, "I know what you're doing. I know why you keep sending villain after villain from our Earth to this one. You want Barry to get faster. You _want_ him to get stronger. You _want_ him to become more powerful... More full of speedforce."

Zoom shifts, leather creaking as he smiles. Zoom wanted him to know.

He doesn't really have a choice, he's got to play along in order to save Jesse, "You're fattening him up like a Christmas goose."

Zoom snarls in that painful voice of his, the one that makes you want to clutch your own throat in pain, "The more power he has, the more I can take... And you're going to help me."

Harry swallows, he was right. Well, he was always right, but here is his chance to bargain, "I want to see her first."

There's a gust of wind, an ominous flash of terrifying blue lightning, and suddenly a small child with brown curls is blinking tear-filled eyes up at him. She brightens quickly and says between hiccups, "Daddy?"

Harrison nearly chokes on his relief and he scoops her up in his arms, "Jesse! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

Jesse shook her head and gave a muffled 'no' from where her head was resting on his shoulder. "Hey, I'm here now. My little Jesse Quick."

She smiles up at him, but then she glances back at the scary man clad in black. She lets out a wail and begins to sob hysterically, hands fisting in the black fabric of his shirt, "Daddy, don't let him take me away again- I don't want to go back!"

"I won't-"

She's gone. There's a rush of wind, a mere vibration and Zoom is back to where he'd stood.

Harry is left staring at where he'd held her just a few minutes before. Zoom is smirking at him and he's never wanted to shoot someone so bad.

"Now _decide_ , in return for your daughter's life..."

He manages to get it out before the monster finishes his sentence, "I'll do it." Harrison looks up, ice blue eyes boring into Zoom, "I'll steal the Flash's speed."

Dr. Wells has no doubt that he might actually do it if he needs too, but first he'll make Allen so fast that Zoom will have no hope of catching him. Zoom _will_ regret ever tearing Jesse away from him.

He will kill the smug speedster, if it's the last thing he does.


End file.
